They say that pigs can’t fly, but horses… They can definitely dance!

Horses are majestic creatures, there’s no doubt about it. In spite of such a wild and free spirit, man has learnt to come together with them, both at work and in sport. As far as the latter goes, the speed and agility of these animals has been put to the test for centuries, with horse racing and show-jumping delighting the upper echelons all over the world. But there’s a new equine sport breaking through, one that displays skills many may never have known a horse possessed.

This international phenomenon is called dressage and is more commonly known as horse dancing. That’s right, horses can dance! While it is a fun and enjoyable sport to watch, the reality is that dressage is a serious competition for all involved. A judging panel scrutinize every second of the presentation, taking pace, accuracy and form into consideration as the rider and horse deliver a finely-tuned routine.

What the audience view in a few minutes on the big night is actually the product of hundreds of hours of rigorous training. Danish rider Andreas Helgstrand and his team have clearly invested a lot of time and effort with their beautiful grey mare, Blue Hors Matine…and boy does it show!

Their act together at the WEG2006 freestyle dressage was astounding. With every change in the music, the horse responds and pulls out some awesome footwork that is simply amazing to witness. It’s no surprise that they coasted through to the finals. Who knew a horse could move quite like this?

The music and choreography used in many dressage routines is quite similar from one to the next, but Andreas and Blue Hors Matine brought something new. The audience couldn’t help but be entertained and they soon got involved. The clapping erupted in unison as they set the beat for this amazing horse to bust out better moves than most of us could!

Drawing to the end of the performance, the horse brought people to their feet and received a response worthy of such a magnificent display. Unsurprisingly, the judges rewarded the efforts of Andreas and Blue Hors Matine with the high scores they deserved. The delight of Andreas and his team was clear to see as they punched the air in triumphant joy.